Internal combustion engine



Feb.9,1943. c. A. DUKE 2,310,733

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 25, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet. l

Inventor Feb. 9, 1943. c. A. DUKE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE lf'iled March 25, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor I Winks v7Z/af/ fizz/re Patented Feb. 9, 1943 UNETE STTES PAT? FFICE 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in internal combustion engines and more particularly to an engine having opposed cylinders and providing rigidly connected power pistons in the cylinders for simultaneous actuation and employing a single connecting rod for connecting each pair of pistons to the crankshaft.

A further object is to provide a piston construction for engines which is strong and durable, which tends to reduce wear on the cylinder walls as Well as on the pistons, which at the same time permits economy in the construction of the pistons by reducing the length of the skirt portion thereof and which at the same time is otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary sectional View through an engine showing the pistons connected in pairs for working in the cylinders.

Figure 2 is a similar View showing a pair of the pistons and with parts broken away and shown in section.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on a line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view through the rod connecting a pair of the pistons, and

Figure 5 is a plan view of one of the connecting rods for the pistons and crankshaft.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates a portion of the engine having the opposed cylinders 6 formed therein to provide the usual combustion chambers having conventional means (not shown) for feeding to the cylinders, igniting the same, and exhausting the products of combustion therefrom.

Power pistons l are provided for each of the cylinders, the pistons being arranged in pairs and are provided with a plurality of rods 8 extending in parallel relation and rigidly connected to the skirt portions of the pistons by Web members 9. The web members 9 project inwardly of the skirt portions of the pistons to space the rods 8 from the walls of the cylinder.

The rods of one piston are relatively short While the rods of its opposed piston are relatively long and the adjacent ends of the rods are proiided with plates 8 connected together by bolts Each piston having the long rods is provided with a wrist pin Hi to which one end of a connecting rod H is pivotally attached, the other end of the connecting rod being provided with a split bearing l2 for detachable connection with the crank l3 of the crankshaft M. The removable section l5 of the split bearing I2 is secured in position by means of bolts and nuts I6.

As illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings, the pistons having the connecting rod ll attached thereto are alternately arranged at opposite sides of the engine to balance the force of the power stroke delivered to the crankshaft.

By rigidly connecting each pair of pistons in the manner indicated, it is possible to construct the pistons with a shorter skirt portion by reason of the fact that one piston acts as a guide for the other piston and no play is possible between the sides of the pistons and the sides of the cylinder walls, thereby reducing wear on such parts.

It is believed the details of construction, and advantages of the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention What I claim is:

An internal combustion engine comprising opposed cylinders, pistons working in the cylinders, lugs in the pistons, rigid rods projecting from the lugs, plates on the ends of the rods, and disposed in abutting relation, and bolts connecting the plates.

CHARLES AUSTIN DUKE. 

